Why Change?
by Princess Zombie
Summary: Bones is charged with saving Kirk's life one more time, and realises how much he hates that responsibility. Kirk/Bones Slash. One-Shot


Title: Why Change?

Pairing: Kirk/Bones

Fandom: STXI

Rating: PG

Count: 1204

Summary: For anon prompt on buckleup meme: "After some close call on an away mission, there's an intense first kiss in the transporter room. How intense? Neither of them notices everybody watching, cheering...then leaving and turning out the lights."

Warnings: sort-of character death

Notes: I really didn't think it would end up this long, but I got really into it. :3

"Doctor," Even their heavily accented voice managed to reveal their perceived superiority, talking to him like he wasn't a human being, like some kind of peasant, untouchable. He didn't answer, just glared at them from behind the primitive bars that prevented his exit from the mold-scented cell. "Doctor, you captain is near death." They mentioned, tinted with disdain. McCoy stood and rushed the bars, staring them down,

"What the hell did you do to him?"

"We have provided the same medical equipment that you possess upon your ship." The woman in long robes, possibly the leader informed him as she raised a key to the door. Once the door was open, the two large gaurs, at least two feet taller then Leonard, grabbed him forcibly and nearly dragged him down the hall.

Soon enough, Jim was revealed laying on a bio-bed surrounded by equipment the repetitive beep that followed his heartbeat was too slow for Bone's liking, causing an involuntary wave of nausea to hit him. The same feeling he had whenever Jim came back to Sickbay injured so badly that Bones thought that maybe this won't be the time he can make miracles happen. "What's wrong with him?" he demanded, looking down at the unconscious blonde.

"He will die in less than one hour if you cannot save him." The woman said, and left. Bones made after her, but was stopped. "Your time is lessening, doctor." She warned, and then was gone, leaving the guards behind. McCoy approached Jim's side and peered at his Commanding Officer. No outward injuries, and he looked healthy other than the fact that he was unconscious.

Biobed readings were stable and normal, other than low blood pressure and heart rate. The hypotension was likely caused by the lower heart rate, even though the body usually counters hypotension by increasing heart rate. If he were conscious, he would have had Jim get up and jog in place to increase it, but that's not a possibility right now. /So, think, Len, what causes low heart rate?/ Chapel talks him through this in his head. Being overly physically fit could cause a slightly lower heart rate of 40-50 beats per minute, but he's dying and his heart rate is decreasing slowly, so that' can't be it. Medications could do it, but Jim's not on any, and a quick scan from the tricorder revels normal potassium levels and no foreign elements in the body. Hypothermia! That would do it. McCoy reaches out and holds his best friend's hand, it's a little chilly, likely from the blood pressure, but nothing extreme. His temperature reads 95F, which is low but can't be considered a symptom.

The Biobed chirps, his brain waves have lowered. His blood pressure is starting to affect his organs now. He'll be brain dead in less than a half hour if his heart doesn't give first. /Atropine/ Chapel barks at him. No, no, atropine blocks the vagus nerve, which'll do nothing for his blood pressure even if it does increase his heart rate.

Side affects, what had high blood pressure and heart rate side effects? Ephedrine increases blood pressure. Jim's allergic to ephedrine, so even if it does work he's likely to go into anaphylactic shock, especially in the state he's in. What else? Bones is panicking only slightly, if his inability to concentrate is any give away. The Biobed releases another unwanted chirp, his heart rate suffers a significant drop. Dobutamine. Dobutamine is a stimulant that used to be used after open heart surgery. McCoy spun and headed for the small cart of drugs in searched for the desired drug. No luck. He shouldn't have been surprised, Dobutamine hasn't been used for decades. /Len, did you forget Norepenephrine?/ Chapel asks boredly, as if he should have thought of that first.

Norepenephrine, increases heart rate and blood pressure are it's main uses. Heart palpitations, it causes heart palpitations. That could cause Jim to have a heart attack as weak as his heart already was. Using this drug would either save or kill Jim, and there was nothing else to it. He scanned the cart of drugs again for a way out. There was none. Leonard H. McCoy was going to kill his best friend and had no choice. A shaking hand loaded the Hypo as he approached Jim. His heart rate had lowered again, to ridiculously dangerous levels. He didn't have time for any other choice. He didn't have time to hesitate, so he injected the hypo.

His heart rate and blood pressure raised after a minute. McCoy smiled, then involuntary laughter bubbled up from his stomach. Jim was alive, he was going to make it! Now all eh had to do was find out what caused-

The Biobed beeped an error. His heart was increasing too much, beating irregularly. Heart palpitations. No. Jim, his best friend was going to die and he had always been to stubborn to tell the younger just how hard it was to say no to those blue eyes. How much it hurt him when he was so close to loosing his captain after some of the rougher away missions. Why he had really snuck Jim on the Enterprise. He felt weightless, dizzy, and then there were bright lights, too bright compared to his cell and the makeshift hospital, and there was Spock on his left, barely able to stand.

Spock. Where did Spock come from. All three of them had been detained separately when they were captured. Had Spock been there the whole time? Had he watched him Kill their captain? Then there was Scotty. Reality revealed they were in the transporter room.

"Bones." That wasn't Spock, it was Jim. But Jim had dies, moments before of a heart attack. How was Jim there? He spun and Jim was slumped against the wall of the transporter pad, looking worse for wear with a huge gash in his forehead. Jim. _Jim._

Bones can't recall when he ended up on the floor, o straddling Jim's thighs, or kissing the younger; only that he got there somehow with his hands firmly gripping the younger's biceps. Jim took a moment to register, but a weak hang gripped the doctor's shirt and he kissed back. He was alive, like really alive this time, and responding to him, not unconscious, nothing.

Their first kiss was exactly like those cheesy romance novels described, fireworks, heat, unyielding emotion forced on each other full of need. Bones had tears running down his cheeks, Jim laughed a sob back at him.

When they slowly pulled away from each other, Bones noticed the room had emptied and the lights dimmed. For a moment, he thought that the crew was an illusion, this Jum an illusion as the dying one had been. The entrance of an Ensign form Security was welcome proof of reality.

"Sirs, I was told to help you to your quarters for rest." The accented male spoke, nearing Jim to help him stand. Bones took his other side.

"Bones." Jim's voice was raspy, he sounded so weak, "Come with me?" He asked as he managed to propel himself with minimal help.

"'Course Jim, I've never been able to say no. Why go changing things?"


End file.
